The Woodkin

Let me preface this with this fact: 2023 was a shit year all around, for the most part. And somehow, I found solace in this horror novel, of all places. At first, and through no fault of the author at all, I had doubts I'd be able to finish the book. With the way this year has gone, I had shied away from horror in general just because I doubted my ability to handle it.

And I found the process rough, at first, because man, this book is downright scary at parts. My heart raced, my breath caught in my throat, and yet, I could not put the damn book down. Four days of lost sleep, of not being able to simply stop reading, and here I am, on the other side.

I feel like I took my own journey with Switchback, I feel like I found my own exit of the show more trail of 2023.

Seriously, though, all that aside? If you like horror, if you like a wild romp through a hiking trail, if you just love being scared and creeped tf out? Do yourself a favor and read this book. show less

Set in the mountains, we follow Switchback as he hikes in an attempt to escape the pain he felt at his wife cheating on him. Things start off normal with fresh air, beautiful scenery, exhaustion and the occasional other hiker. But after he tries to report a dead hiker ravaged by mountain lions in a small town with strange inhabitants and no police station, things start gong horribly wrong as the calm atmosphere of his journey is shattered.

While I didn't particularly care about our main character, the author did a fantastic job setting up the atmosphere and the Woodkin which is why I'm rating this what I am. The Woodkin were genuinely creepy but otherwise the book was okay. Some aspects were a little confusing and the writing could have show more been a bit more polished but the author really nailed the "oh no!" feeling. show less